Community Gardens in Tulsa - zoning change!

[swake]

has Jack ever been for anything?

I've heard interviews with him and his normal state seems to be confused. I think he's lost without Roscoe on the council to tell him what to be outraged about.

[rwarn17588]

All of the recent quotes on community gardens confirm one thing that I've suspected:

Jack Henderson is a moron.

And I say that with no gladness in my heart.

[Gaspar]

I got a line on some killer asparagus.  

Premo stuff!

Anyone interested?

Community gardens are a gateway project.  They lead to other harder projects like tree planting and neighborhood landscaping.  Next thing you know you've got home-grown arborist cells threatening to take over the mowing and irrigation of medians.  Oh! the horticulture. I've seen it happen before and it's not pretty!

Leaders that want to get involved and help their communities typically do two things, they get involved and they help their communities.  

Community garden projects require motivation by leaders and involvement by the community. . . some good gloves and a garden hose won't hurt either.

[patric]

Here's an editorial that ran in today's Tulsa World.  I love it!
At first it seemed City Councilor Jack Henderson didn't like the idea of community gardens, an issue the council is pondering, because he was afraid they would sprout salvage yards.

By Tuesday he had changed that theory. Now, it's something else he's afraid is going to take root — dope.

"How do we know what people are going to be growing? Vegetables? Maybe. Or maybe something else," he said at a City Council committee meeting.

Wow, how did the Whirled's editorial staff end up on the reasonable side of an issue?

And what's really eating the council about community gardens?  Does it take that much away from the tax base?

[rwarn17588]

Wow, how did the Whirled's editorial staff end up on the reasonable side of an issue?

And what's really eating the council about community gardens?  Does it take that much away from the tax base?

No. It's two councilors being stupid, that's all.

[pmcalk]

Does anyone have any information about the City Council meeting tonight?  I see that it is on their agenda, but I have heard that City Council will not take public comments on it until next week.

[godboko71]

I am all for community gardens, it helps bring people together, which in turn makes for a stronger better community. There are no down sides as long as there are people interested in them.

[sgrizzle]

I think every politician wants to make it look like they aren't just a rubber stamp so thy harass the occasional issue. Unfortunately Henderson and Patrick picked something that SHOULD have been a rubber stamp. I talked to some North Tulsa community organizers last night and they said if Henderson had a clue about how his constiuents feel he would've shut up about this a long time ago.

Sadly one plan they suggested was to try to get Patrick more informed with hopes he could get it across to Henderson.

[TheArtist]

Loved that TW article lol.

[rwarn17588]

I think every politician wants to make it look like they aren't just a rubber stamp so thy harass the occasional issue. Unfortunately Henderson and Patrick picked something that SHOULD have been a rubber stamp. I talked to some North Tulsa community organizers last night and they said if Henderson had a clue about how his constiuents feel he would've shut up about this a long time ago.

...

Sadly, I concur with grizzle's assessment.

I'm not a super-enthusiastic advocate of community gardens. But this idea is such a positive for any neighborhood where it might happen -- especially during a recession when money's tight -- that it simply staggers me that there'd be any misgivings at all.

Opposing community gardens is like kicking a puppy. There's no damned justification for it.

Why in the hell did Henderson get re-elected? Is he that good at suckering his voters? Can a councilor be recalled for blatant stupidity?

[Townsend]

Consideration of Tulsa community garden zoning postponed

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=298&articleid=20090310_298_0_TheCit932212

[PonderInc]

The Community Garden proposal will now be heard by the Council on Thursday, March 26, 2009 at 6:00pm at City Hall (One Technology Center), 175 E. 2nd St. in the City Council Chambers on the 2nd Level.

[buckeye]

First, a real sense of community with plenty of enthusiastic home-gardeners turning the soil and sowing seeds.  A few politicians have photo-ops.  Promises of cornucopias brimming with bounty!  Happy children!  Carbon credits for all!

Then, dang it's hot.  Weeding, hoeing, tilling, plant diseases, pests, dog poop...all the mundane aspects of gardening.  Enthusiasm wanes, soon only the die-hard green thumbs are left tending "the neighborhood's" garden.  Harvest time soothsaying entices no one.

Eventually, the green thumbs get resentful and grumpy.  This in turn scares more people away.  A summertime sale on big screen plasmas at Best Buy.  Green thumbs are marginalized or ignored.

Bums circulate like locusts.  Scorched-earth.  Discount Lowe's marigolds replace raped produce.

One green thumb breaks his hip and dies, the other three have a big argument about instant coffee and the garden is left unsupervised.  Come next spring, it's a filthy weed pit littered with cigarette butts.  Hey Jack, is that what I think it is?  No, there in the middle...?

City declares the plot a nuisance and takes it through eminent domain.  Guido Castrati the developer buys the property at auction and builds a 3500 square foot, 4 story Tuscan nightmare on the tiny lot, sells it for WAY too much scratch.  Zoning committee looks forward to season tickets.

Glut of shovels and hoes during garage sale season.  Free miracle grow with every purchase.

[PonderInc]

Councillor....?

[PonderInc]

Hmmmm... Many commercial developments fail for various reasons.  Should we not have zoning for commercial developments b/c one might fail?